Finger-pointing time is over for Project M

Hermit: With the rotten electoral roll, there is no way Pakatan Rakyat is going to win. The RCI (royal commission of inquiry) on Project M has revealed to the whole world how the National Registration Department together with the Election Commission had been used by Dr Mahathir Mohamad to issue citizenship and registered hundred of thousands of immigrants as voters, helping him to cling on to power for 22 years.

As disclosed by Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim, this gigantic exercise to grant voting rights to immigrants in order to leverage Umno's perpetual reign of the nation continued into the Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Najib Abdul Razak administrations.

Unlike the granting of citizenship carried out by statesman Tunku Abdul Rahman upon the nation achieving independence, the granting of citizenship engineered by Mahathir through a clandestine manner as revealed in the RCI, involved millions of ringgit passing hands, from the immigrants and war-chest fund for BN to those handpicked to execute the project.

Pemerhati: The probable reality is that most of the top BN people including people like Anwar were aware of the gigantic illegal IC (identity card) and citizenship scam which was most probably organised and carried out in a big way by Mahathir with the help of his political secretary and his late deputy home minister.

None of the top BN people complained because for them doing something illegal, such as carrying out the many different types corrupt practices to steal the people's money, was the norm. So another illegal activity such as the IC and citizenship scam was no big deal.

Moreover since it was Mahathir's project, they dared not offend him by criticising it as that could have jeopardised their political future.

Most importantly, it benefitted all of them as the illegal votes ensured victory for BN and hence they all could remain in power and continue to plunder the country.

Abdullah and Najib could have put a stop to this but to them that would be like killing the goose that lays the golden eggs.

Ferdtan: Surprise, surprise, the elegant silent ex-PM, Abdullah, is quick in coming out to rebut Anwar's claim that he was involved in the Project IC in Sabah. It is very impressive and forceful, coming from him, to defend himself.

Has he just got up from slumber? However, when it comes to the many Mahathir's sarcastic remarks against him, he remained as quiet as a mouse; afraid that the ‘Maha-cat' would eat him up.

That is the Abdullah we all sadly know. Malaysians may empathise with his weak character, possibly his intentions were good when he was the PM, but it is hard to give him respect.

Mahashitla: Pak Lah, I think you are barking up the wrong tree. Anwar did not accuse you of being directly involved in Project IC but merely said that it continued during your watch and now Najib's watch.

As expected, we don't expect you to know that the project has been going on. As for Najib, everyone of us knows he is very well aware the project, especially on a grand scale in Selangor.

Wanderer: Surely, one can easily conclude the objective of this exercise was to benefit the ruling administration to retain power. So, it is pointless to throw wild accusations, especially Mahathir.

Mahathir, the ring leader and his two sidekicks - his the political secretary Abdul Aziz Shamsuddin and deputy home minister Megat Junid Megat Ayub - appeared to be the obvious suspects.

Dude: The EC is involved, then and now. All responsible for this terrible treacherous act must be held accountable. Finger-pointing time is over.

RAW: My guess is this - since Project IC was an attempt to ‘Umno-nise' Sabah, at least the top few politicians in Umno at the time it was initiated would have been involved in it one way or another or at least have knowledge of it.

A possibility that cannot be ruled out is that all the big players who were then on the same side, but some are now on opposite sides of the political divide.

Thus Project IC had been a ‘checkmate' issue until now, that is, none of them felt that they could use it as a weapon against one another since it may turn out to be a weapon of mutual destruction.

Now that the issue is out, they could only play the finger-pointing game.

Not Confused: It is now confirmed that in fact, there was, and still is, a Project IC. Of course, no one is responsible, it just happened by chance.

Who benefitted from this treasonous project? BN of course, so it is BN that is responsible, and it would appear, through the reign of at least two prime ministers.

It matters not who was really involved, it is evidence without doubt that BN is corrupt to the core and must be kicked out at the GE.

The RCI currently under way should identify those who actually carried out the treacherous actions, and they should be dealt with in the fullness of time, once Pakatan takes control of Putrajaya.

Survivor: This is like a musical chair - "it's you, not me". They are throwing this hot potato around and see who is last to catch it when the music stops.

However, the hot pototo will nevertheless come back to Mahathir.

Doc: Pak Lah should be worried. Dr M is on the "blame everyone" mode again. He has already blamed Anwar.

It's a matter of time that Pak Lah, Dr M's favourite punching bag, will also be blamed for Project IC.

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